Equality California Condemns Senate Gun Safety Vote, Calls for Reforms

Los Angeles = June 20, 2016 – In response to today's defeat in the U.S. Senate of four gun control measures addressing gun violence, two of which were supported by Equality California, Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur issued the following statement:

"Slightly more than a week has elapsed since the worst mass shooting in history, in a country where the regularity of mass shootings horrifies the world.  The U.S. Senate has followed the now-predictable pattern of proclaiming that their "thoughts and prayers" are with the victims, while denying those same victims any meaningful action on their behalf.  They did not act on behalf of the six year olds gunned downed in Newtown.  They did not act on behalf of social workers gunned down in San Bernardino.  And once again, they have refused to act when 102 young, mostly Latino mostly LGBT people were gunned down in Orlando.

We had tangible hope that thoughts and prayers would this time result in real protections – for the LGBT community, which has suffered staggering rates of violence long before Orlando – and for all Americans who want to be able to leave home to see a movie or send their child to school without fear that that kiss goodbye will be final.  We are disappointed.  Orlando is a call to action, for Equality California and for the LGBT community as a whole, to mobilize in support of meaningful gun safety reforms that will protect the LGBT community, our families and the broader communities we call home."

Equality California is the nation's largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org